Shadows of the Mind
by Teh K9
Summary: collection of ShikaIno oneshots Four: Oh, the perils of impressing your girlfriend's father... and through golf, no less.
1. Keys

Keys

_Summary: Ino has agreed to be Shikamaru's girlfriend, but first she has a small test for him to pass… Slight AU, takes place in high school_

Shikamaru fumbled with his pencil as his history teacher, Asuma, went through another lengthy lecture. Today's topic? The Qin Dynasty. And really, Shikamaru thought this Qin guy was on crack. Who really gets buried with a thousand terracotta soldiers?

He looked over to his left. A few seats away, the blonde object of his affection scribbled down notes. Her long, glistening hair was tided back into a high ponytail, but her bangs hung out and covered the right side of her head, the side that faced him. That was the reason Shikamaru hated his seat. Sure, he got to sit in the back corner, the best seat he could ever _hope _to receive, but that meant being on the side of the room that Ino concealed her face from. Sometimes she would shake her head or turn in his direction to speak to him or someone else, and he would have the pleasure of gazing upon her beautiful face. But that tended to happen rarely, as her best friend, Sakura, sat on the side of her opposite to him.

But now wasn't the time to daydream, as much as he hated to believe that. He had only the remainder of the day to finish her '_test'_ if he wanted to get through this lovesick trap that had somehow weaved its way through his life.

_Flashback_

"_Shikamaru!"_

_Shikamaru slammed his locker shut and turned in the direction he had heard his name from. It was the passing period before his history class, the most boring class of the day. Things happened, let's get over it! He slumped his shoulders and relaxed into his classic lazy pose. It was hard this time, though, because he recognized the voice all too well. That high-pitched, incredibly enthusiastic voice with the more-than-occasional bossy tone always made his heart race. It was a chore to keep up his reputation around her._

"_So hey," She smiled mockingly, "Guess what I heard today."_

_Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow, "What?"_

"_Something very interesting, about you, that Naruto told me."_

_Shikamaru's heart raced faster, _he wouldn't!

"_I heard," Ino grinned, taunting him, "That you like me, Shikamaru."_

_Shikamaru's heart seemed to stop, right then and there. She knew? Well, this was crap. Utter crap. The crappiest crap that was crappier than any other crap that has existed in the crappy history of this crappy world. You know what this meant? The world was ending._

_He didn't respond, only let the heat rise in his face to the point that he could have sworn that it was sizzling. Ino laughed._

"_You know what? I'll date you. You're an amazing guy, Shika, being so smart and all. You just have to pass one test, first."_

_Shikamaru snorted, "A test? You know you can't push me away that easily."_

"_Who said I wanted to?" Ino tossed him a suspicious smile, then raised a hand to her left ear, the only one she allowed the world to see. The other stayed hidden under the mass of hair that hung on the right side of her head. "All you have to do," She used her hand to emphasize the earring that hung from her left ear. It was a lovely, shining, silver earring that matched the intensity of her hair perfectly. It was a heart-shaped lock, but made of plastic, of course, "is find the key to this lock."_

"_The lock is a fake isn't it? There's no key."_

"_Well I wouldn't ask you for the key if there wasn't one. It's a real lock, all right. It was an extra that came with my diary. And there _is_ a key, so you better find it, and by the end of the day, too."_

_She laughed, waved and made her exit to go to history. Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets to follow her. _I hate tests…

_End Flashback_

Shikamaru was deep in thought, but definitely not about the lecture. He was gazing at Ino, thinking about the test. Where would Ino hide a key, on her key ring? _No, too obvious. _What about her pocket? _She'd probably lose it that way._ He frowned, and noticed her shake her head a little, then reached her hand towards her right, concealed ear, fingering the hair that hung across it. She ran her fingers through it, and Shikamaru thought she would, for once, tuck it behind her ear so he could see her face. But she only brushed it out, and he could see the slightest shine of the earring she wore under that mass of blonde.

Ino turned her head away from him, whispering something to Sakura. They both chuckled. In front of them, Sasuke shushed them, and they pouted at him in return. Sakura, being the one sitting directly in front of him, kicked his chair, and then whispered something in his ear. Sasuke shushed them again, jotting down notes to Asuma's lecture. Naruto, beside him and in front of Ino, slapped him and grunted something that Shikamaru knew was about disrespecting Sakura. Sasuke ignored him and continued writing, while the girls laughed. Naruto and Sakura slapped hands. Ino bopped Naruto in the head. He rubbed his head where he had been hit, stuck out his tongue at her and faced Asuma again.

Their teacher never noticed.

_Figures,_ Shikamaru groaned. Placing those four together was a bad choice on Asuma's part. They would commonly goof off in class (excluding Sasuke, he was normally just pulled into it against his will).

Ino turned her head towards Shikamaru, and he nearly jumped in his seat. He _had_ been staring at her, after all. It wasn't exactly the greatest thing in the world that she caught him; especially after she found out he liked her. She smiled, then mouthed the words: _so where's the key?_

Shikamaru shrugged, casting a disinterested look. Ino silently laughed, turning her head again, letting her blonde hair hide her face from him once more. He sighed, hating the wall she would put up between them.

* * *

"Naruto, your ass is _mine._"

"Mmf?" Naruto gulped down his ramen, confused. Shikamaru dropped his tray of food on the cafeteria table, taking a seat beside the blonde idiot. He grabbed his shirt collar and cast a death glare.

"You _bastard!_" He growled, "You _told her!"_

"Oh yeah, Ino…" Naruto said with his mouth still full. He swallowed and tugged at his collar, hoping Shikamaru would let go soon, then gulped "So you two going out now?"

"_No._" Shikamaru threw him down, then took a sip from his water bottle, "Now she's giving me this damn troublesome test before she'll late me date her."

"What kind of test?"

"I have to find some key."

"Tough."

Shikamaru kicked Naruto's chair over, causing Naruto to fall and throw his chopsticks across the room. He groaned, rubbing his side before he stood up again. He straightened his chair and sat back down, returning to his ramen, "So you figure it out yet?"

"No."

"Tougher."

"Hey man," Choji sat down a heaping tray of food at the table and sat across from Shikamaru. He picked up a sandwich and took a bite, "Naruto told me about Ino. What she say?"

"Ask him," Shikamaru grunted. Naruto repeated what he had been told a moment ago, and Choji nodded.

"Just find the key, already."

"We were just sitting in class for over and hour; do you really think I had the chance?"

"…maybe…"

Sasuke joined the table momentarily, giving an 'hn' in greeting as he sipped some tea. Shikamaru replied with the same gesture, eating his sandwich. After a few minutes, Sasuke decided to speak.

"Sakura told me about you and Ino, the whole story." He said monotonously, "and during Asuma's lecture, too. I missed the whole part about Qin's examination processes."

"Look it up."

"I did, but Asuma always gives those random details that he asks about all the tests. I'll have to go in for tutorials now."

"Here," Shikamaru pulled out his binder and slid it across the table, "copy my notes and stop whining like a brat."

Sasuke threw in a glare, but accepted the binder and pulled out his own. While he copied, Neji showed up and sat beside him, instantly looking at Shikamaru, "So… you and Ino, eh?"

"Good lord, I hate rumors," Shikamaru rested his head on his fist, "What a drag."

Neji smirked, and as if on cue, Lee ran onto the scene, "Guys, guys, you'll never guess what I heard!"

"Let me guess!" Shikamaru groaned, eyeing Lee almost threateningly, "You heard about me and Ino too?"

Lee blinked, "No… but what about you two?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Shikamaru placed his head back to his fist.

Lee shrugged it off, and then got excited again, "So guess what I heard, guys!"

"Bowl-cuts are in style?"

"Youth is the best way to empower your life?"

"You're going to stop imitating Gai?"

Lee scoffed, "_No,_" He sent them all nasty looks for mocking him, "You know Gaara's 16th birthday is today, right? Well Temari and Kankurou are throwing him some big party tonight. They invited a ton of people, including all of us."

"How exciting," Shikamaru remarked sarcastically.

"And there's also supposed to be Sakura, TenTen, Hinata, and Ino…" Lee continued to list off some names. Naruto listened whole-heartedly, starting to get excited, while the other boys just sat and listened contently, continuing their own business.

_What a drag…_ was all that ran through Shikamaru's mind.

* * *

Shikamaru avoided Ino at the end of the day; he didn't want her breathing down his back about the test. He still had the remainder of the day, which meant that he _had_ to be at the party tonight.

While walking out of school, however, he saw Ino hanging out on the curb with Sakura, laughing about something. Her long, blonde hair flowed in the wind. He watched the right side of her face, the concealed beauty she held away from the world. Her bangs floated away from her hair, and he was finally able to see her entire, beautiful face at once. It almost felt miraculous. And while her hair got rustled in the wind like that, he saw, again, the faint shine of her right earring from behind her hair.

He grinned. He knew where the key was.

* * *

When he reached home, he tossed his bag onto the coffee table, mumbled a word of hello to his mother and ran up to his room. Yoshino felt puzzled, finding the newfound rush that had set in her son amazing. Maybe he finally found some _meaning_ to his life…

Shikamaru scanned his room, looking for a sign of anything that could aid him for the night ahead. The party started at six, and he had to look presentable to Ino…

It was going to be a long two hours.

* * *

Shikamaru walked into the massive mansion that belonged to a certain, spoiled rich kid name Gaara. He never knew whether to envy him, be disgusted by him, or just thank the lord that he got along well enough with Temari that she invited him over for things like this.

The invitation had mentioned to dress casually, so he was wearing some simple worn jeans and a blue shirt and black jacket. His hair was up, as usual, and he had black Converse shoes on. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his jackets, his shoulders slumped, and his back slouched, the usual, lazy pose. Temari greeted him at the door, smirked at him and left him alone.

_So she's heard too? I'm sure it's the talk of the whole school by now…_ Shikamaru sighed, wandering through the party crowd until he found a nice, somewhat empty spot by the food counter, _I hate rumors, they're such a drag._

He spotted her in the crowd, the blonde beauty that had been causing him so much trouble all day. She was chatting with her girl friends, laughing about some nonsense in that weird way girls always do. He only watched her, not making his move. If this test really meant something, she would come to him.

And she did. She looked around the room until she finally laid eyes on him. Grinning, she waved to her friends and left the crowd. She joined him in the solemn world of the food area, where the only person that would possibly bug them was Choji.

But of course, we can trust Choji to leave his buddy Shikamaru alone at a time like this.

Ino smiled, taunting him, "So," She began, "Time's up, where's the key?"

"It took a while to figure this one out," He smirked. His arms were crossed and he leaned against the wall, looking down at her from where she stood in front of him, "I may be a genius, but I'm about a dumb as Naruto when it comes to you."

"Strange simile, I'd never expect you to compare yourself to him."

"You're a mysterious girl, Ino, when you want to be."

"Like now, perhaps?"

"_Exactly_ like now."

"But you still haven't answered my question, Shika," She tilted her head in question, almost like a puppy, "Where's my key, Shikamaru?"

He raised a hand to her face, raising the strands of shining yellow from her face, and reached for her right ear. He fingered the silver key that hung from it.

"It was so obvious; I can't believe I didn't figure it out right away."

Ino took the hand that held her face in her own two, closed her eyes and smiled, "Would you believe me if I told you that every other guys that's liked me never found the key?"

Shikamaru raised both eyebrows, "No, I wouldn't."

"It's true," she giggled lightly, placing his hand on her cheek but not letting go, "you're my genius, Shikamaru."

"This is really cliché, you know. Please don't tell me you mean for this to be the key to your heart."

"It makes sense, though! I wear these earrings every day, and I always hide the key behind my hair, along with half my face, because I feel so incomplete."

"Incomplete?"

"I had no one to love and no one to love me back. Doesn't that make you feel incomplete, too?"

Shikamaru thought it over, "I suppose."

"And now," She took his arm and rest her head on his shoulder, "I can love you, Shikamaru. You've made me complete."

Shikamaru smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. He bent down, capturing her lips in his. She kissed him back, snaking her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. After several moments, they broke apart, smiled at each other, and then looked at the party crowd. All eyes were on them.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed. Ino giggled and waved half-heartedly at the crowd, who in turn cheered for the new couple. Seconds later, they went back to their usual business.

Shikamaru raised one arm to rest on Ino's shoulders while she leaned on him and rested her arm around his waist, "You should give me that key, then, if I'm the one who makes you complete.

She frowned, "Then what will I wear on my right ear?"

"Here," he reached up to his right ear and took out the small hoop that hung from it, then gave it to Ino, "I propose a trade."

"They don't match."

"They match if we say they match."

Ino laughed, took the hoop and gave him the key, "You've got a deal."

From then on, when Shikamaru looked to his left side during history class, he could actually see the amazingly beautiful face of the object of his affection, because now she pulled her bangs back with a clip. Her hair no longer served as a shield of her incompleteness. And when you walked the halls of Konoha high, chances were you would run into a couple that comprised of a lazy genius and a bossy blonde, both wearing matching earrings.

**The End.

* * *

**

**I actually have a pair of earrings like that. Not a real lock and key, but it is a pair of earrings that has a heart shaped lock with a matching key. And I like hiding the key on my left ear, which is 90 of the time hidden by my hair. I just switched it to the right side for Ino since that's the side her bangs are on, XD.**

**EVERY TIME YOU READ WITHOUT REVIEWING, A SQUIRREL DIES IN ITS SLEEP BECAUSE IT DIDN'T STORE ENOUGH ACORNS FOR HIBERNATION.**

**Save the squirrels, people.**


	2. Whistling

Whistling

_Summary: I hear that whistling is the best way to unconsciously attract the opposite sex…_

_Damn that Shikamaru!_ Ino growled as she stomped down the streets of Konoha. She, Shikamaru, and Choji had just gotten off a mission, and it was a tough one. The trip was long, the battles were fierce, and she had been badly injured. But did Shikamaru care? _No!_ He muttered something about being _troublesome_, and then just _walked off _leave her and Choji to make the long trek to the hospital themselves! Damn, she was mad.

_When I find him, he is so dead… so dead!_ Ino began formulating her revenge plan in her head while she walked to the hill she would always find the lazy shadow boy at in his free time. He'd be there, she knew, because he had just turned in his mission report, after all, and would go straight to his lazy life once given the chance. Unfortunately for him, that also meant _hurt_ time…

_I hate him, that lazy bastard. Always being a cocky smart-ass, always contradicting me, always telling me what to do, always making fun of me… ah, it never ends!_

She pushed past a tree and reached the hilltop, making out his figure a few feet away. His eyes were closed and his arms were folded behind his head. He was at complete peace, letting the wind blow through that pineapple ponytail of his and the sunlight shine upon his face just right, so that it wasn't too bright and he didn't have to squeeze his eyes shut to keep from being hurt by the UV rays. She paused and leaned on the tree, watching him. What was the sound she was hearing from his direction? She cocked an eyebrow and listened. Was he… whistling?

It was such an unfamiliar tune to her that she couldn't decipher what it was, but she stayed by the tree and listened anyway. He really did sound nice, maybe something rubbed off on him when he was battling those sound nins?

She sighed and continued to watch him, every idea of revenge slipping away quickly from her mind. He looked so serene in the warm sunlight, the wind blowing through that spiky ponytail. The whistling sound escaped his lips, snaking its way and landing softly in her ears. It wasn't a harsh sound. It was a lovely one, something that could lull you into a comfortable nap.

_When did Shikamaru get so… hot?_

Ino suddenly blushed when all the naughty fantasies that she used to have about Sasuke started to run rampant through her mind… except it wasn't Sasuke this time. Shikamaru had taken his place instead.

_What the crap… what am I thinking!?_ She brought a hand to her face and gasped; _I'm blushing, aren't I? My face is so hot… but wow, he looks so amazing over there…_

Her heart began to race. She continued to watch him lie there and listened to the melody. She didn't want to interrupt now; she just wanted this moment to last as long as it could…

Unfortunately for her, it couldn't. Shikamaru soon sensed her presence and opened his eyes abruptly, turning his head her way. The whistling ceased, and he cocked an eyebrow, squinting his eyelids only a little to make out her figure. Unsuccessful, he rubbed his eyes lazily and blinked, then looked at her again, before realizing it was just her and settling back into his trademark lazy stare. Her heartbeat regained composure, and she remembered the reason why she was there. But… was that really such a good reason after all? _Maybe I'll forget all this and just get out of here… I'm starting to feel all jumpy around him._

"Oi, Ino. What brings you here?"

"N-nothing… just… listening, I guess." She stated hesitantly, and blushed again, _Damn, I'm starting to sound like Hinata!_

"Listening?" He chuckled, "Spying, I think. Why are you _really _here?"

"Can't a girl just come and watch the clouds without being questioned!?"

"She can, yes, unless she's Ino Yamanaka with a mysterious alibi."

"I was going to beat you up for dumping me and Choji like that at the gates yesterday." She frowned, "But I changed my mind."

Shikamaru sat up and stared at her, "Why?"

Ino walked over, sat beside him and hugged her legs to her chest, "I don't know, just did."

He frowned, "You know I didn't want to leave you guys like that."

"Really? Sure didn't seem like it." She pursed her lips.

"Choji was in fine enough condition to get you to the hospital by himself. It was a damn long mission, Ino, and that meant of damn long report to write up. I didn't want to bother you into doing it, you were too injured. And you _know_ Choji can't write reports worth crap. He understood, you know." He eyed her, "He let me go without a word. Choji knew that you needed help, and I just wasn't in a position to give it to you."

Ino narrowed her eyes and looked the other way, "…but… but!" She grumbled. She could never fight back Shikamaru's logic, it just didn't work, "…fine. I guess you're right."

"Thanks for finally seeing it my way." He smirked.

"Oh just shut it!"

Shikamaru looked away and whistled again. Ino rested her chin on her knees and smiled faintly, loosing herself in the melody again. It soon faded away, and Shikamaru spoke again.

"I read somewhere that whistling is the best rated way to unconsciously attract the opposite sex."

"Really?" She laughed, "Somehow I'm not surprised."

He smirked at her, "Why not?"

Ino rolled her eyes, "Its suiting."

"Why is that?"

"It just seems that way!" She laughed.

"Why?"

"Will you stop that!?" She laughed more and playfully punched his shoulder. He rubbed it, smiling slightly before he lay back down on the ground. He whistled again.

"Why are you whistling, anyway?"

He paused and thought it over, "Amusement."

"Sure you're not trying to impress someone?" She grinned knowingly.

"…no…"

"I know," She laid on the ground on her stomach, propping her chin up on her hands and continued to grin, "You knew I was coming, didn't you?"

"Not really…"

"You knew I was coming and decided to start _whistling_ so that I wouldn't stay mad and then change my mind about scolding you. You had this strategy played out in your mind, ever move precisely predicted and fit to your standards. You thought that is you just _whistled,_ I'd come swooning into your arms, and you'd be the big bad victor!"

Shikamaru didn't respond, but didn't give any sign to tell her if she was correct or not. She had gotten… _most_ of it right. He hadn't known that she was there, but on the off chance that she might have been… he decided to whistle anyway.

Damn, did he get lucky.

"Well guess what?"

Shikamaru only turned his head in question. He knew what was coming, _it didn't work, Shikamaru! You can't get me like that, Shikamaru! You know I like Sai now, right Shikamaru?_ He inwardly groaned, _just get it over with, troublesome woman, and reject me._

"It worked."

Shikamaru stared at her incredulously when she spoke those words, "Wait… what does…"

Ino leant over and kissed his forehead, "It means you win after all."

He didn't dare to blink when she lifted her head away from his and looked down on him. A thousand thoughts began to dance through his head, and being the strategist he was he whittled them down to one, rock-solid explanation.

_She loves me?_

He sat up and took hold of her shoulders, bringing her face to his so that their lips made contact once more. It was a gentle, delicate kiss, and only lasted a few seconds. He pulled only an inch or so away and whistled again.

The melody acted as a catalyst that caused a fire to build within Ino. Every note that escaped his lips only made her want him more, making her itch for the taste of his lips against hers. The whistled melody was intoxicating to her ears, so intoxicating that she dared to cut him off by crushing her lips against his.

A moment of passion went by, until they finally parted. Shikamaru rested his forehead against Ino's, and she looked him square in the eye.

"Every time you whistle I just melt away, Shika…" She whispered, closing her eyes.

He smirked and whistled a note or two that caused her eyes to shoot open, panicked and full of lust for his touch. He snaked his arms around her waist and hugged her close to him.

"Looks like I finally caught you."

"You know what? I hate you now."

"Awww." He laughed.

She hugged him back, tightly and rested her head on his shoulder, "What is that song, anyway?"

"I don't know," he thumbed a strand of her long, golden hair, "It just came to me, randomly. I might have heard it on the radio somewhere."

"No, I don't think so," She closed her eyes and sighed, "It's just your own melody, Shika, your own, beautiful, intoxicating melody."

He whistled it again.

**Awww! I've been working on this one for a LONG time. I just never felt it was good or long enough, so I never posted it. I finally got along to editing it some (not much, but some. And I finished it. That also helped.) because… well, I'm procrastinating starting the next chapter of AMAM. XD …don't kill me. I promise I'll start working on that when I'm done here….**

**Anyway, the inspiration came from the most random of all things…. MY SHAMPOO BOTTLE. That's right, I had a bottle of Herbal Essences shampoo, and I was looking at the back label, and it had this little trivia question:**

**Q: What has been listed as the best rated way to attract the opposite sex?**

**A: Whistling**

**I immediately got sad about the fact that I CAN'T WHISTLE.**

**And then I wrote this story :D**

**Enjoy! And REMEMBER…**

**EVERY TIME YOU READ WITHOUT REVIEWING, IT DOESN'T RAIN SO A TREE GETS SAD AND DOESN'T GET ANY WATER AND THEN DIES!**

**Save the trees, kids.**


	3. Matchmaker

Matchmaker

_Summary: Ino thinks she's just hooked Shikamaru up with his dream girl: Temari. But little does she know that she couldn't be further from the truth, and now Temari is turning the tables on her!_

"_Shi! Ka! Ma! Ru!"_

Nara Shikamaru lifted his head lazily from where it had formerly been supported up by his hand upon the table: he was working on his latest mission report, however nearly falling asleep in the middle of it. It had been a boring escort mission, with no sudden attacks in the middle to liven it up. Not that he minded; in fact, he loved the mission dearly, not having to work as hard and all. But it had been boring nonetheless, and writing it's boring report to be long enough to be accepted did not help things. His lazy attitude kept pushing to procrastinate things, but better judgment told him that it would only worsen the project. It had to be done now.

He rested his dark eyes upon a certain Yamanaka in reply to the calling, asking with his facial expression why she had run up to him so suddenly. She hardly took time these days to chat with him, as she was often off stalking Sai as she had once done to Sasuke. It hurt Shikamaru inside: over the years he had developed a sort of infatuation with her. In the beginning he denied it, saying he merely only cared for his teammate and wished not to see her in harm's way. Jealousy was passed off as a spin off of this: he didn't want to see her heart broken by Sai.

But time went on and the crush never faded. Shikamaru fully accepted, by then, that he had fallen in love with the blonde bombshell, as troublesome as she may be. However, he never worked up the courage to tell her: fear of rejection held him back.

"_Shikamaru!_" She repeated cheerily, taking a seat in the wooden table. The wind blew gently through her hair, creating a long golden wave in the breeze that sprouted from the back of her head. The sunlight shined in her eyes and off the silver buttons on her shirt and the earrings she wore. Shikamaru took this all in as more proof to her amazing beauty: she could never look terrible, it was not possible. He thanked the lords that he had decided to sit outside on the glorious day to finish his report. "I just heard the _juiciest_ gossip," she giggled, "You'll never guess."

"Ah… Naruto asked Sakura out? Again?"

"Nope!" She bit her lip to suppress her giggle fits.

"I'm not playing this game," he groaned, "I have work to do, so spit it out or leave."

She pouted, "Oh, Shikamaru, you're no fun. Fine, I'll tell you." She looked left and right, and then behind her, checking to see who was around. Then she leaned over, closer to him, and said quietly, "I heard that a _certain someone_, someone _close to me_, has a crush. A big one, in fact."

Shikamaru's heart pounded at their close proximity, "…who, then?"

"Guess! Come on, now!"

"I'm not playing that game, I told you!"

"Fine!" She raised a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing right into his face, "It's you!"

Shikamaru wasn't sure what happened just then: if his heart had burst or frozen, or maybe it was beating so heard now, threatening to jump out of the cage that concealed it. He could hardly fight the blush coming to his cheeks.

"Of course, I don't know who. Naruto just told me that it was _someone…_ so, naturally, I came to find out who!" She backed away from him and smiled sweetly, "You _will_ tell me, won't you Shika?"

The nickname didn't help the situation; he could feel his face heating up profusely, against his will. He could not look at her for the reason that he knew she had put a pout on her full, red lips, and her eyes would be wide with pleading in a sort of puppy dog stare. His heart continuously threatened to break out of its cage. His writing hand, clutching his pencil, shook hard, creating various unwanted marks on his mission report. Finally, he took a deep breath and then exhaled, then looked up but avoided looking into her magnificent blue eyes, "I'll let you guess."

"What? Now _I_ have to play the game? How's that fair?"

"It's the only way I'll tell you, whereas I knew that in your excitement to tell me your _gossip _news that would wouldn't wait long enough to make me guess. So, go on." He returned to his report, cursed at the ugly pencil marks that littered the page and set off immediately to erase them.

"All right… well, would you give me a hint?"

"Like what?"

"Like… what does she look like? Act like? Describe her!"

Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes, then looked right back at her, still avoiding her eyes and instead staring at the space in between them, "All right, all right. Let's see…" He paused.

"Oh come on, Shikamaru! _Tell me!_" She laughed and punched him playfully on the shoulder.

"Okay, okay!" He laughed as well and brushed his shoulder off, "She's got blonde hair and a rather… feisty temper. Best not to get on her bad side."

"Blonde hair… feisty temper…" she muttered to herself, and immediately searched his surroundings for someone fitting that description. Shikamaru shook his head and returned to cleaning off his report. _Of course,_ he thought to himself, _she's too dense to realize it's her._

"Oh! I got it!" She whipped back around to face him, nearly hitting him with that long ponytail of hers and giving him a mouthful of hair to chew on, "I know who it is! You like _Temari!_"

Shikamaru's right hand slipped across the paper, creating a long eraser mark across it and fading a whole line of words. "…who?"

"Temari!" She clapped her hands together, proud of her accomplishment and a plan formulating in her head, "And I know that she's in the village _right now!_ Had a message to bring from Gaara, I ran into her earlier today." She turned around and pointed across the lane, "Look! She's across the street, come on!"

"Ino, wait, I have a paper to finish-" Shikamaru started as she pulled him away from his work, creating a massive scattering of papers in the wind caused by their sudden departure, and his pencil flung underneath the table. Ino didn't listen, but merely tugged him across the street over to where Temari sat, sipping a cup of tea she had just purchased.

"Temaaari!" Ino called in a sing-song voice, "I have someone who would like to see you!"

Temari, in mid-sip, quickly swallowed and pulled the cup away from her lips. She smiled to the rather excited Yamanaka and the annoyed Shikamaru and laughed lightly, "You two look like you're on a date!"

Shikamaru turned his face away to hide another impending blush, while Ino look down and realized that her hand indeed held Shikamaru's tightly, and quickly pulled it away and hid a blush of her own, "No, not at all! Besides, he's here to see _you_," she winked at him, and he just rolled his eyes, "I'll see you two later."

Temari watched the flower girl walk away, and once she was across the street again and out of hearing distance, she whipped her head back to Shikamaru, "What's going on here…?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ino thinks I like you," he grumbled, "Troublesome."

"Really, because you told me that you liked _her._ Sudden change of mind?"

"No." He clenched his jaw, "I told her I liked a blonde girl with a feisty temper."

"Not specific enough," she said immediately and sipped her tea. Shikamaru rolled his eyes again, as he obviously had learned this already. Temari lower her cup once more and watched Ino straighten up the papers she had so haphazardly messed up just before. "I would think that Konoha's Top Strategist would expect this and not let it happen?"

"My mind goes blank when I see her, I can't help it." He sighed, also watching him from afar. Across the street, Ino stacked the papers together and look over to them, then smiled widely and waved. They both waved back.

"Then I guess it's my job to clean up this mess?"

Shikamaru looked to her and raised both eyebrows, but the rest of his face remained neutral. "Please do."

"All right, all right." She finished her tea and left it on the table along with her payment and tip, "Walk with me."

He turned and followed her. Behind them, Ino Yamanaka watched them walk away together and placed both hands on her hips in triumph; she had done well. But… what was the pang in her chest that now hurt her so?

* * *

"We have to create the illusion that we're dating."

"What?"

Shikamaru sat with Temari on a bench a few streets away from their last destination. They wanted to make sure Ino wasn't nearby so that they could discuss the plan without worrying about her eavesdropping. Ino had tended to watch after couples after she had matched them together, and invaded their privacy a little _too _much. They both were keeping a keen eye out as they spoke.

"Well, you know how people normally get jealous when the object of their affection starts going out with someone else."

"But Ino doesn't like me-"

"No, she just doesn't _know_ it yet. Believe me, I've seen the hints. She likes you."

"What hints?"

"She doesn't keep her eyes off you, for starters, in those meetings. She trusts you to hold onto her body and keep her safe when she uses her jutsu. You also dress similar." She looked over to him with a known smirk, "I could go on as long as you like me to, Nara."

"I get it," he waved her off, "Anyway, the plan?"

"In addition to building up jealousy, she'll be expecting us to date anyway. She'll confront you, eventually, and you can set things straight. It's that simple. And you're lucky, because I'm going to be here for a few more days still. Plenty of time."

"What if she doesn't fall for it?"

Temari stared at him blankly, "Then you're screwed."

"….thanks." Shikamaru hesitated and allowed his eyes to linger to the left, "She's coming. I can sense her presence."

"So do I. Guess that means its time to put this plan into action, then! Well?"

"What?"

"Put you're arm around me, stupid, we're supposed to be fake dating!"

Shikamaru did as he was told, though inside his heart ached and wished for things to be different. In his mind, he worked the images around him and imagined that the blonde beside him he held with that one arm was a different person entirely, one clad in purple and silver instead of black and white. As expected, merely seconds later Ino popped up around the corner, carrying the stack of papers that Shikamaru had left behind.

"Shikamaru!" She called, noticing them on the bench, and turned to face them. She took a step, hesitated, then proceeded and held the papers out to him, "Here, you left these behind."

"Thanks," he mumbled, trying his best to show little interest in her presence and took the papers, set them beside him and replaced his left arm around Temari's shoulder. Temari merely stared into the distance, ignoring the Yamanaka girl.

Ino crossed her arms behind her back and pursed her lips into a thin line, her eyes wandering away from the two and off to the side. Temari finally took notice and looked up to her.

"Why are you still here?"

"Ah!" She blushed, "Sorry. I'll go now." Ino hesitantly waved goodbye and slowly walked into the distance. When they were sure she was far enough, Shikamaru retracted his arm from Temari, scooted about a foot away from her and grunted.

"That was brilliant." He said sarcastically.

"Oh, it's only the beginning. She'll get worked up eventually." Temari stood up and stretched her arms, "But other than that, I'm having dinner with Naruto's team tonight. I'm going." She turned towards him and pointed sharply, "Meet me at Ichiraku tomorrow at noon. Don't be late."

"Yes ma'am." He mumbled. She shot him a glare before vanishing, gone in the blink of an eye. Shikamaru looked beside him to the stack of papers Ino had left behind and sighed. Best to finish up this report now and turn it in quickly…

* * *

"You're late."

Shikamaru glared at Temari as he approached the Ichiraku Ramen Stand that day, just after noon. "By five minutes."

"Yes, but what if Ino had shown up in the last five minutes? I had to be very careful and precise last night, making sure to relay the information to Sakura that we'd be here and get it into her head that she should tell Ino. You better not mess this up, Shikamaru. I'm doing this for you."

"Yeah, yeah." He looked around, for a sign of the blonde beauty clad in her usual purple attire. Temari looked in the opposite direction, also searching. A moment of awkward silence passed between the two before Temari yanked Shikamaru's arm nearly out of his socket and tugged him underneath the curtains of the stand, then pushed him onto the stool. Temari nodded to the cook, who nodded back and pulled out two steaming fresh bowls of ramen and placed them in front of the 'couple.' Shikamaru raised both eyebrows in Temari's direction, who just waved a hand at him and whispered, "_Play along. Here she comes!_"

A slim, purple-clad figure appeared outside the stand and raised an arm to the curtains to allow herself to peer in. Immediately on cue, Temari burst out laughing and lay a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder, "That's so _funny,_ Shika! Wow, you're such an _amazing_ boyfriend!"

Temari did her best to emphasize her adjectives, and spoke loudly enough to get Ino's attention while still keeping a low profile. As expected, Ino quickly snapped her head to her immediate left, where Temari had already latched onto Shikamaru as he slurped his ramen.

"Mmm," Shikamaru mumbled, getting the sauce all over his face. Temari fake-laughed some more, then reached for a napkin.

"Oh, you're such a sloppy eater! Let me clean that up for you… there." She used the napkin to expertly clean Shikamaru's face, allowing her fingers to linger momentarily over his lips. Behind her, she could feel Ino's jealousy rising, no matter whether the latter could notice it herself or not.

"…hello, there." Ino greeted weakly. Temari and Shikamaru each turned their heads slightly and looked at her sideways, as if to say that they didn't notice or care for her presence at all.

"Oh, hello there Ino." Temari smiled warmly. Shikamaru nodded, not daring to say a word.

"Hello, Temari." Ino rubbed one arm awkwardly, "You two look… cozy."

"Oh, we are." Temari leaned in closer to Shikamaru and gave his arm a squeeze, "We really have to thank you for setting us up yesterday."

"Don't mention it." Ino replied, speaking more to Shikamaru than to Temari. Her eyelids rested lazily on her eyes, which appeared to have a hint of sorrow etched into them, and the usual spark gone. She continued to rub one arm, and tucked one leg behind the other. Her eyes didn't leave the Nara boy, "I hope you two are happy together," she added with no meaning.

As Temari continued on with the façade, doing everything in her power to act well in the part of Shikamaru's _girlfriend,_ Shikamaru only stared back into Ino's sky-blue eyes that, for some reason, didn't shine with its usual brilliance today. Somewhere inside, he felt a hint of remorse…

"Well, we really must be going, shouldn't we Shikamaru?"

"Ah… yeah, but we didn't-"

"Finish? I know, and I'm sorry to spend your money like that too! But we really need to be somewhere, remember?"

"Oh… yeah. We do." He nodded to Ino, "See you."

"See you." She repeated, summoning a fake smile and waving weakly, "Bye."

Temari tugged Shikamaru out of the ramen stand with the same force she had used to pull him in, and after walking quickly down the street, hanging a left and then walking even further, she finally released him and smiled smugly up to him, "It's working! Did you notice the sadness in her eyes? The softness of her otherwise normally shrieking voice? _She's jealous!_"

Shikamaru mulled it over in his mind a little, before smiling a little smugly himself, "She is, isn't she? Guess it's only a matter of time now until she cracks."

* * *

"_Why hasn't she done anything yet!?_"

Temari was so annoyed, she nearly smashed the porcelain cup of tea she held in her hand. The past few days had been rather tough, as no matter what they threw at Ino now, she still didn't respond the way they wanted her to. There was no jealous rage. There was no plotting revenge to steal back Shikamaru. There was no conspiring with others. There was no venting. All she did was weakly encourage them, keeping it all inside.

"Well, you can't expect her to do anything, really. She thinks she's set us up for our own good. She wouldn't want to mess up her own work. She really believes we're in love."

"Well," Temari set her cup down with a thud, causing the tea inside to nearly splash all over the table, "We need to break up then, don't we?"

Shikamaru raised both eyebrows, "I don't know-"

"_Of course it will work!_" She hissed, glaring, "I'm determined!"

Shikamaru blinked and stared at her blankly, "Why-"

"_Shut up, Shikamaru!_"

"What's this, trouble in paradise?"

Shikamaru slowly nodded to the visitor beside them, while Temari whipped her head around in fury, glaring for interrupting their conversation. The aforementioned visitor laughed heartily and munched on a sandwich he held in his hand, before continuing to Shikamaru, "You know, I didn't believe it when Ino told me you two were going out. Guess she was right, though."

"Of course she was right, it was her fault."

"Her _fault_, what?"

"Listen, Choji," Temari, having calmed herself down with another sip of tea, motioned for the Akimichi to take a seat beside her so she could explain, "We're not really_ dating_, Shikamaru and I. No, we're just putting on a charade."

Choji paused in mid-chew, then glanced between the two, "Ha, I knew it."

"Huh, you do?" Temari blinked, "Okay then… well…"

"So you need to make her jealous so she'll tear you apart? Fat chance."

"What do you mean _fat chance!?_"

"You know Ino and her matchmaking, she doesn't like to see her work destroyed. It tore her up as much as it did Hinata when she failed to set her up with Naruto."

Shikamaru and Temari both blinked, thinking things over. They had gone too far too fast, hadn't they? Never even thought it through. "We figured out long ago that she's dead set on us being a '_happy couple'_" Temari used air quotes here, "But we thought she'd get over it. Didn't think enough, though! But maybe this new plan will work…"

"What plan?" Choji asked.

"We're staging a break up," Temari stated.

"Were you _not_ paying attention throughout this whole conversation!?" Choji groaned, slamming one fist into the table, "_Ino's going to be majorly crushed!_"

"But what other way are we supposed to get these two together!?" Temari roared at Choji, her anger rising again, "I'm the one _really_ playing Matchmaker here, not her!"

"…find another way!" Choji retaliated hesitantly. Temari seethed and looked away, mumbling things under her breath that Shikamaru and Choji decided to ignore. Looking for a more sensible person to converse with, Choji turned to Shikamaru.

"So what's your plan, Mr. Genius?"

Shikamaru withdrew himself from his copyrighted thinking pose he had drawn himself into moments prior while Choji and Temari argued. As his hands broke apart, he smirked and let out a small chuckle.

"Oh, you'll see."

* * *

Yamanaka Ino stood solemnly in the middle of Konoha Bridge late the next night. Half a loaf of bread lied on the banister beside her, pieces already ripped away and lying now in her hands, others floating in the water. Ducks swam around below, snatching the floating pieces in there mouths and fighting over others. One particularly obnoxious duck quacked loudly and flapped its wings, making another flee so that he could claim a rather large piece to himself.

She sighed, and tossed another piece of bread out of pity to the duck who had just lost. Though it was smaller, the duck still happily snatched it up his mouth and swam along, satisfied, with his friends.

"Feeling all right there?" A rather familiar, masculine voice said as he took his place beside her at the banister. Ino looked at him sideways, without moving her head, quickly, and then back to the ducks. She shook her head.

"I'm fine. Shouldn't you be with Temari?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "She left for Suna today, remember?"

"Then why didn't you escort her back?"

"She can take care of herself, she's a ninja." Shikamaru turned his head toward Ino, who deliberately avoided his gaze. "And a jounin, at that. Higher rank than me. I'd be no good to her."

"You sure do seem to be, though. You two are so cozy together."

"I'd like to point out, Ino, that _you_ set us up."

"I know, I know," she sighed, "I'm not trying to argue. But…"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her almost-sentence, and when she had paused for too long he pushed her on. "But what?"

"Nevermind."

A long, lonely silence followed. Ino tossed another piece of bread into the water, and the same obnoxious duck, who was currently all the way across the river, darted through the crowds of ducks towards it. But when he reached it, another duck reached it with him and they collided just before the bread. The obnoxious duck quacked again, and the new duck slipped away a few inches and left him be. She did not want to be injured. But the obnoxious duck silenced, then, with his beak, nudged the piece of bread towards his comrade. If ducks could smile, the new duck would have as she happily ate the bread.

"Why did you set us up anyway, Ino?"

"Because you said you liked her."

"Did I really?" Shikamaru thought out loud to her, "I don't remember ever saying the words '_I like Temari_' in my life."

"You said a blonde girl with a feisty temper," Ino rolled her eyes, but still did not look up at him, "Bam. Temari."

Shikamaru laughed softly. The obnoxious duck and the new duck hadn't parted yet. Any male duck that approached the new, rather fetching duck the obnoxious duck would only quack at again, but wouldn't flap its wings so as not to hit his friend. "What was that?"

"Blonde girl. Feisty temper." She shot him a sideways glare, "Would you like me to write it one hundred times on the chalkboard?"

Shikamaru grabbed a piece of bread from her and threw it into the water, accidentally hitting the new duck. The obnoxious duck squawked loudly and flapped its wings as the new duck shied away in fear. The obnoxious duck squawked again at Shikamaru before swimming quickly over to his friend to make sure she was okay. "Well, Temari isn't the only blonde, feisty tempered girl I know."

"Uh huh," She leaned more onto the banister, looking further over the banister, "But I obviously got it right, because you two are so happy."

Shikamaru leaned over as well, "Let me clarify, Ino. I like a blonde girl with a feisty temper. I've known her since childhood, and she's on my grade-school ninja squad. She wears plenty of purple, with mesh arm and leg warmers and silver hoop earrings that match my own." As Shikamaru explained this, Ino slowly turned her head towards him, allowing herself to take in his gaze as he stared out down the river. Her face was full of awe. "She has magnificent blue eyes, as well, but they've been full of sadness these past few days, ever since I mistakenly hooked up with another woman, at her will, by the way, to make her jealous." Shikamaru turned his head to match her gaze, "Sadly, my plan didn't work. A rare feat."

Ino was speechless, her lips parted, amazed. It was a rather unexpected turn of events on her part, because she truly believed her work had been perfectly done this time around. Shikamaru took this moment to soak in her beauty: the way the moonlight bathed her features so warmly in its silver glow, and how her hair floated swiftly in the wind. The brilliant spark in her eyes and relit itself, a new fiery passion lit with it within her. Her lips, red and full, were parted so perfectly…

He had to bend down and kiss her.

It was a passionate kiss, one that seemed to last forever. He could feel the fireworks blasting off somewhere inside both of them as he snaked his arms around her waist and held her closer. Ino, originally surprised at his sudden action, relaxed into his embrace and rested her arms on his shoulders, sinking deeper into the kiss.

A moment later they finally broke apart, with Ino staring up to Shikamaru, confused. He closed his eyes, smiled, and rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Ino."

She returned the smile and kissed his cheek, "I love you, too."

* * *

A few days later, Temari found herself in the same predicament Shikamaru was in at the beginning of this story. Papers were strewn all over the table around her, as she scribbled away at her latest mission report. Frankly, she did not understand the point of writing a report for simply delivering a message from the Kazekage to the Hokage, but apparently it was work still to be done.

She paused, holding her pencil in mid-air as she turned her head abruptly towards to window. A pigeon flew up to it, flapped his wings and landed on the sill. He began to peck away at the glass for her to open it.

"What is it?" She grumbled, annoyed from being interrupted in her work and got up to let the pigeon in. The moment the glass shield was out of his way, he held up his legs to reveal a letter attached. Temari untied and unfolded it, then handed the pigeon a small bowl of food to occupy it as she read the letter and wrote a reply. She laughed as she recognized the lazy handwriting of a certain lazy ninja.

_Temari:_

_It worked. Consider your Matchmaking Job successful, even though it was my idea that worked, not yours. _

_-Shikamaru_

She rolled her eyes and scribbled a reply, tied it to the pigeon's leg and shooed it away. She shut the window and returned to her work.

"That damn Shikamaru… my plan was _too_ successful!"

_END._

**BAM. HOW'S THAT FOR A ONE-SHOT?**

**I had fun writing this one XDDDDD**

**Um… so… yeah. Reviews are loved.**

**EVERY TIME YOU READ WITHOUT REVIEWING, HARRY POTTER UH…. DIES.**

**YEAH.**

**THAT'S BAD.**

**SAVE HARRY POTTER, KIDS.**


	4. Tee Off

**Tee Off**

_Summary: AU. Shikamaru has to suck up to Ino's father in a game of golf if he ever hopes to have a harmless relationship with her._

Shikamaru sighed as he watched another one of his golf balls soar against the blue sky. He lost it quickly, as others got in the way. That was the typical habit of the driving range, you couldn't always catch the exact distance you gain in a shot, but you always see enough to make it count.

It was a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon; the perfect day to be taking a nice nap outside on his favorite hill, watching the clouds floating by. But instead, he had to spend it outside in an uncomfortable polo shirt, hacking away golf balls with his girlfriend's father. It was a necessary evil, impressing her father by playing his favorite sport with him, but he really would have preferred to stay home.

Speaking of polo shirts, Shikamaru pulled at his collar to air it out. It was the most uncomfortable thing he'd ever worn; he didn't know how all these people could stand it. Who was the wise guy who decided you had to wear a Polo to play golf? What was wrong with a plain t-shirt?

It was his father's idea. The day Shikamaru broke the news to him he was dating Yamanaka Ino, his father turned around to face him in that large armchair of his in the study (Shikamaru always swore that he constantly expected his father to suddenly appear as a sinister villain, softly stroking a cat in his lap and smiling evilly). He raised an eyebrow, laughed, and asked how Shikamaru planned to jump the obstacle of her father, Inoichi. Shikamaru had shrugged, saying he didn't know and didn't care, but his father told him otherwise. The second Inoichi knew his daughter was dating the Nara boy he'd be out to kill him instantly. The best and quickest way to get on his good side and prevent certain death was to play a game of golf, eighteen holes, at the country club.

Shikamaru didn't know what was with rich people and golf. Inoichi was the CEO of some major jewelry company (or something expensive like that). He played golf all the time. Shikato was the head of medical corporation, and was Inoichi's best friend since grade school. He played golf occasionally with him, when Inoichi proved to be annoying to ignore when it came to invitations. But when Shikamaru asked if Shikato would accompany him to his certain doom that Sunday, Shikato refused and said there was no way in _hell_ he was golfing with Inoichi if it could be helped; that man was a golf guru. Honestly, Shikamaru couldn't even see either of them ever playing golf in their lives. They were both tall, muscular, and looked like they had been in gangs in their teenage years. In fact, judging by the scars on Shikato's face, he probably _had_, but that was an entirely different story.

When Shikamaru passed on to Ino that he wanted her to tell her father he'd like to play golf with him earlier in the week, she stared up at him in disbelief, then proceeded to ask if he was feeling sickly and compared his forehead temperature to her own. He _wasn't_ feverish, it seemed, and Ino asked why he would _ever_ want to play golf with him.

"To be able to spend more time with you, since I know your father will oppose our relationship," he had said, smiling genuinely and instantly sweeping her off her feet. Score one for Nara.

Shikato had obliged, at least, to teach Shikamaru how to play golf and train him well enough to at least not be _killed_ by Inoichi. "Once you learn the basics, you'll be good in no time. You're a sharp kid, you'll be fine," he had said. Shikamaru did catch on quickly, and supposed he could face up to Inoichi well enough to not be ridiculed. Ino still worried about him, however, and promised to be there with him the day he golfed with her father.

He hit another ball across the golf course, making great distance. Maybe this day wouldn't be _too_ terrible, but he couldn't be sure.

"Shikamaru!"

He turned his head and smiled at the approaching beauty, clad in purple. "Hey Ino," he spread his arms and embraced her in a tight hug, and she giggled in reply.

"How do you like my new golfing outfit? Daddy just bought it for me yesterday." She stepped a foot away and spun around once, letting her short skirt billow in the wind. When he looked at her, he thought her polo looked a _hell_ of a lot more comfortable than the one he had borrowed from his father for the day.

"Very… purple."

"Haha, thank you." She slapped his arm teasingly, then looked out into the range, "Hitting them hard?"

"Hard as I can." He sighed and readied another ball on the tee, "Where's your father?"

"Getting a golf cart. He said he'd meet us here."

"Joy." He whacked the next ball and beat his last distance by a good fifty feet at least.

"You're a lot better at this than I thought, Shikamaru," She grinned, "Better than me, at least."

Shikamaru smiled lopsidedly, "And you're second only to your father, right?"

"No. I'm average."

He sighed, but laughed, "Well, that's one step accomplished."

She managed a smile, "Look, just make sure at least you score at par, and not so much about beating him. He's tough, but he'll at least give you _some_ respect for being competent."

A high-pitched beeping sounded behind them, and they both twirled around to see Inoichi driving up in the golf cart, swerving around numerous people, trash cans, and other golf carts to get to them. He came to an abrupt halt about a yard from their feet and parked, "Ready to tee off, kids?"

"I forgot to mention," Ino said, pointing out the two-seated golf cart that likewise only held two golf club bags, "You have to walk _and_ carry your own bag."

"Yeah." He sighed, shoved his driver in his bag and swung it over his shoulder, "I figured as much."

"Hole one! Ino, dear would you like to tee off at the reds as always?"

"No, Daddy," she smiled sweetly, "I'm teeing off at the whites today."

"'Atta girl." He grinned at her and parked the car next to the tee. Shikamaru trudged on behind them a little ways off and caught up only a few seconds later. Inoichi waited smugly by the cart as Shikamaru reached them and put down his golf bag, rubbing a hand against lazy eyes as was custom. "Would you like to go first, Shikamaru?"

"Er…" Shikamaru's eyes darted to Ino, who looked back at him sweetly, her driver already clutched in her hands, "No, sir. I thought I'd let Ino go. Ladies first, after all."

Inoichi stared him down sternly, as if judging him, making Shikamaru feel like a measly ant at the foot of an elephant. After a split second of awkward silence (which felt like an eternity, of course), Inoichi flipped his gaze over to Ino, "Is that okay with you honey?"

"That's fine!" She smiled, both to Shikamaru and to Inoichi. Inoichi nodded.

Shikamaru sighed in relief, _Good going._

Ino grabbed a golf ball out of the pocket of her bag at once. She hopped along up the hill and prepared to tee off. She took quite a few practice swings, leaving Inoichi and Shikamaru standing side-by-side by the cart, which caused time to pass by excruciatingly long for Shikamaru. Why did she have to leave him here beside a man who was probably plotting his demise right then and there?

Or maybe he was just overreacting. Time finally sped back up when she whacked the golf ball across the green. He didn't bother to note the exact place it landed; he was too nervous about his own turn.

"Good shot honey!" Inoichi clapped his hands together and grinned widely. Ino beamed at him and pulled her tee out of the ground, then hopped back over to the cart. Inoichi smile instantly dropped and he looked expectantly over to Shikamaru, "Your turn."

He gulped and grabbed is driver and a golf ball. Here, he was in a predicament. When practicing with his father he teed off at the whites, but Inoichi probably expected more from him, a _lot_ more. He would have to push it a few feet and go for the blacks.

He placed his tee in the ground at the black posts and looked over to Ino. She smiled and mouthed him a _Good Luck_. He quickly glanced at Inoichi, whose arms were crossed in impatience.

As Shikamaru readied his golf ball and took a few practice swings, his brain got to work. He considered the length of the hole, the shape of the green, where it curved, where the sand dunes were, everything. Math equations started to stream through his head as he angled himself correctly with the tee and prepared to swing. He needed only just the right amount of power…

_Swoosh!_

The golf ball soared through the air, down towards the hole behind the trees that the fairway curved around. It hit the ground just past a water hazard and rolled its way to a stop about twenty feet from the putting green. He grinned; pretty good for a Par 3 hole.

Inoichi watched the area where the ball disappeared for a moment. Shikamaru grinded his teeth together and hoped he wasn't about to criticize him for poor workmanship, or something. However, after another eternity of waiting, Inoichi nodded and said "Good shot."

Shikamaru let out a great sigh of relief and retreated to his bag.

Inoichi's time shooting went surprisingly fast compared to the rest of that hole so far. He made it about has far as Shikamaru had, perhaps even five feet less. The Nara boy didn't dare stand closer than three feet to his girlfriend as they waited, though, due to his fear.

Inoichi smiled smugly as he returned to the cart and put away his driver, and then looked to Shikamaru with a raised brow, "Not already off to your golf ball, Nara? You have a ways to walk, you know."

_Shit_, he growled, grabbing his bag and starting off as quickly as he could before the cart was started (Ino took her sweet, sweet time getting into the cart to try and help him out, thankfully), _he's right_.

Hole 18. As exciting as it was to be almost done, it wasn't at all settling to think about.

Shikamaru had done what Ino had told him too: He kept his score at least at par. However, he was just _so close_ to beating Inoichi, and wasn't quite sure what the outcome would be if he did. If Inoichi scored par on this last hole, and Shikamaru got a birdie or better, he would win. But if he _did _win, would Inoichi respect him or just want to tear his head off for showing him up? It was a horrible predicament to be in; not even Ino could figure out how to see behind her father's mask and make a suggestion.

Shikamaru would just have to try and forget the score and golf his best.

"Look," Ino smiled as they walked down the fairway to the putting green. Inoichi was driving the cart up on the sidewalk that ran alongside them, "I'm sure it will be all right. He's warmed up to you, hasn't he? I mean, he's not _scowling_ anymore. I saw him smile at you, too."

"Yeah, right." Shikamaru was sure that smile was because he had screwed up and gotten his ball landed in the sand dunes. However, it was true; Inoichi seemed to be less… horrifying now. He had offered even to squeeze Shikamaru's golf bag in with his and Ino's on the back of the cart once Shikamaru lagged behind too much. Now he just had to walk everywhere.

But the looming final score was still too much to bear: Ino's father obviously didn't want Shikamaru to know how he was judging him in this game, and wore the most concealing mask ever. The only choice was to play as well as he could.

"It's time to putt," Ino grinned, and pecked a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek quickly while her father wasn't looking, "Good luck." She turned and went to retrieve her putter.

Shikamaru smiled smugly and followed her to get his own club. As long as she was there, supporting him, wanting him to be with her, it would all surely work out. Inoichi couldn't said no to his one and only daughter, no matter _how_ he felt about her boyfriend. Ino loved Shikamaru, and he loved her back. That was that.

"_I did it!"_ Shikamaru looked up to see what Ino was squealing about; her father was laughing beside her on the green, holding the flag pole, and she had bent over to grab her golf ball from the hole. She quickly grabbed it and turned to wave it at Shikamaru, "I scored par on this hole!"

"Good job, sweetie!" Inoichi laughed again. Ino grinned and took the flag pole from him so he could write her score down on the score card, "And you've scored only just over par. You're getting better! Just like your old man."

Ino smiled sweetly at him again and laughed brightly. Shikamaru sighed. Who needed the sun when you had her brilliant smile to lighten up the world?

"Shikamaru, it's your turn." Inoichi said simply. There was hardly any expression on his face, save for a lingering laugh from just before. What did this man want from him?

Shikamaru approached his golf ball on the green and analyzed the shot. He could _easily_ make this on one go and win the game. But what would the scary Yamanaka man across the green say? He looked at Inoichi's face, and then to Ino, hoping for one final hint. Both just watched him, waiting.

He took a deep breath, exhaled, and allowed his mind to go to work. Shikamaru readied his club and took a swing.

The golf ball rolled down the green and around the rim of the hole, pausing briefly right at its edge before finally succumbing to gravity and falling in. It made only the lightest tapping noise as it bounced inside the plastic hole.

Ino grinned, "Good job, Shikamaru!" She laughed, "I think you scored and eagle, right daddy?"

"He did," Inoichi hid his face behind the score card as he wrote a number down, "Even if I get this next shot in, I won't be able to beat him." The man laughed heartily, shoving the pencil and card into his back pocket. "Looks like you've beaten me, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru paused as he bent over to grab his golf ball. Did Mr. Yamanaka actually sound… somewhat civil?

He stood up and straightened his back, "Thank you, sir." He dared a glance at Ino. She was grinning.

"No need for the formalities, son." He grabbed the flag pole from his daughter and placed it back in the hole, "You can just call me by my name, Inoichi."

"Thank you… Inoichi." Augh. That was weird. It would take forever to get used to. But that was besides the point; the real thing to be focused on right now was the fact that _he hadn't killed Shikamaru yet._

Inoichi returned to the cart, and Ino instantly jumped over to Shikamaru and gave him a great hug, "You did it!" She laughed, "You passed his test!"

"How'd I do?" he laughed also and hugged her back, burying his face into her blonde hair, "Did I ace it?"

"Not sure, you might have to work up to that." She smiled, "But you at least got a B minus."

"Good enough."

Ino let go of Shikamaru and he snaked his arm around her waist as they walked back to the cart. Inoichi turned to them and gave them a slight look, causing Shikamaru to shiver in fear.

"Hey…" Inoichi furrowed his brow, but then smiled, "You want to join us for dinner in the clubhouse, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru inwardly let out a sigh in relief, "That would be great."

"Good. Call up that bastard father of yours. I'm still waiting for that rematch with him."

**This has seriously been sitting on my hard drive for like, a year, lol. I started it after taking pictures at a golf tournament and then never finished it till now. YOU CAN SEE MY DEDICATION.**

**So despite the fact that I am no longer a big Naruto fan, I will still always love Shikamaru and Ino. And I will always love fanfiction of them. And I will always think about writing fanfiction for them but will ultimately fail in doing so. This is why I am inactive, lol. But I'm trying!**

**Thanks guys for all your loooooove. Now review.**

**EVERY TIME YOU READ WITHOUT REVIEWING CAPTAIN CRUNCH'S BOAT SINKS AND ALL THE CEREAL FALLS INTO THE SEA AND IS SOGGY AND GROSS AND SALTY AND UGH.**

**Save the Cap'n Crunch cereal, guys**


End file.
